The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) has chosen W. Andrew Achenbaum of the University of Houston as the 2007 recipient of the Donald P. Kent Award. This distinguished honor is given annually to a GSA member who best exemplifies the highest standards for professional leadership in gerontology through teaching, service, and interpretation of gerontology to the larger society.
The award presentation will take place at GSA's 60th Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held from November 16th - 20th, 2007 in San Francisco, CA. The actual conferral will occur on Sunday the 18th at 10:00 a.m. at the Hilton San Francisco. The convention is organized to foster interdisciplinary interactions among clinical, administrative, and research professionals who specialize in the study of the aging process.
Achenbaum is a current GSA Fellow and a past secretary. He was also instrumental in starting the organization's Humanities and Arts Committee. He has also served as chair of the board of directors of the National Council on Aging and as technical advisor and delegate to the White House Conference on Aging. Additionally, Achenbaum is one of the few historians in the United States who has devoted a career to studying and dissemintating research about the meanings and experiences of aging in past and present times.
The Kent award was created in 1973 in memory of Donald P. Kent for his outstanding leadership in translating research findings into practical use. The winner traditionally presents a lecture at the Annual Scientific Meeting the following year. The Kent Lecture is expected to be one of the conference's highlights.
The Gerontological Society of America is the nation's oldest and largest multidisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. The principal mission of the Society - and its 5,000+ members - is to advance the study of aging and disseminate information among scientists, decision makers, and the general public.